News

FILIPINO progressive group Anakbayan expressed its disappointment with the participants of this election’s first Philippine presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City due to their failure to talk about relevant youth issues and their penchant in issuing motherhood statements which actually meant nothing. Anakbayan chairman Vencer Crisostomo said the failure of the presidential candidates — Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senators […]

THE Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday in a statement its agreement with a Russia-US deal on cessation of hostilities between Damascus and the opposition, given the fight against terrorist organizations, including Daesh, continues. On Monday, Moscow and Washington announced an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad and the armed opposition factions had been reached. The agreement […]

THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of a Quezon City assistant prosecutor who was found guilty of accepting bribe money from a complainant. Edgar Navales was fired from service as an assistant prosecutor and perpetually disqualified from holding public office or from taking the government’s civil service examination. At the same time his government […]

Much of the US media has presented Hillary Clinton’s victory in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday as by a wide margin, although she won by just four delegates, and despite the fact that five weeks ago Sanders was down by 25 points in the polls. According to leading members in two independent socialist parties in the US, the American ruling circle fears that […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the Syrian ceasefire agreement is a “real step that can stop the bloodshed. On Monday, the Kremlin released details of the Syrian ceasefire plan the US and Russia agreed upon. The two countries had to conduct several rounds of secret negotiations before settling all details and making them public. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the plan of ceasing hostilities […]

THE Office of the Ombudsman of the Philippines is set to indict the Philippines Postmaster General Josefina Dela Cruz and two of her subordinates after finding 15 probable causes against them for alleged violation of Republic Act No. 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997). In a statement, the Ombudsman disclosed that complainant Santos Pamatong, Jr., a Philippine Postal Corporation employee, claimed […]

(This article recently appeared as a two-part series in Weekend Balita, a Filipino-American newspaper based in Los Angeles) My son and I were watching the Los Angeles Lakers play against the Clippers. We were discussing the game as it moves along. We were talking about the Lakers continuing slide to the bottom as the season ends. And sad as it […]

THE United States Department of Homeland Security has started training Philippine government employees, including Ninoy Aquino International Airport security personnel, on the detection and prevention of international financial crime like money laundering. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said airport security personnel who were sent to the USDHS training program would be taught the various aspects of money laundering, currency […]

POP star Madonna was given special treatment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Philippines’ premier airport, upon arriving Monday for her two night concert. Security was tight at the airport. Even working NAIA Terminal 1 ground personnel were barred from taking pictures or videos of the “Material Girl” when she disembarked from a chartered Boeing B757-200 aircraft that […]

THE National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) saved from being fired 319 police officers who failed to get promoted due to lack of a collegiate degree as they were made exempt from this education requirement due to their exemplary performance. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary and NAPOLCOM Chairman Mel Senen S. Sarmiento, in four resolutions, exempted the policemen […]

THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) early this week urged the Commission on Elections and the organizers of the first Philippine presidential debate on Feb. 21 in Cagayan de Oro to provide a bigger venue to accommodate the numerous journalists who will cover the event. The appeal came on the heels of a statement issued by the […]

Yes, you read it right. I did say scale because me and my buddies huffed and puffed climbing our way to Mt. Romelo’s peak over the weekend. But we weren’t after the peak, really. We scaled the mountain to see Buruwisan Falls, which is just one of the seven falls hidden in Mt. Romelo. Mt. Romelo, which is quite popular […]

The battle of Aleppo has involved a wide range of forces, from the Syrian Army to numerous rebel and jihadist groups; for the government, liberating Aleppo could mean the turning point in the Syrian civil war, while the militants consider Aleppo an important bargaining chip in negotiating Syria’s future. Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been […]

THE embattled Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reportedly been mulling the setting up of its own x-ray machines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Philippines premier air terminal, to ensure the safety Saudi bound passengers and their aircraft. An airport source who asked not to be named for security purposes, told this writer that the Saudi government recently […]

THE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) assured the public that its standard bearer in the coming elections, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, is in good health contrary to rumors being spread by a political rival. PDP-Laban made this clarification after Duterte failed to meet with two groups of doctors Thursday due to a migraine attack. Duterte was […]

THE Manila International Airport Authority next month will implement a new measure to address the continuing problem of flight delay at the country’s premier airport. In a statement, the MIAA said ten flight movements will be grouped per 15-minute block periods to ensure compliance with the new policy of having a maximum of 40 movements per hour. This new policy […]

THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Officer-in-Charge Treasurer Edgar Villanueva after he was found guilty of Oppression. His dismissal from the service was prompted by an investigation into the imposition and assessment of real property taxes against the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Inc. (MSBFI) in 2011. Aside from the dismissal order, Villanueva […]

THE Okanagan Lake was simply stunning while Skaha Lake offered all sorts of activities from “see-doing” to water boarding, canoeing, water toy rentals and several other adrenaline-inducing sports activities. It was our second summer and we were “all fresh off the boat” as our Vietnamese Canadian friends would say. Driving from Vancouver, it was traditional to stop at a look […]

THE Office of the Ombudsman would investigate close to 600 local government executives in the country’s 13 administrative regions for violations of Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000). In 50 complaints filed by Romeo Hidalgo of the Ecowaste Coalition, it was reported that “field investigations reveal that the officials committed violations of RA 9003 and […]

THE ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III might resort to poll fraud to secure the electoral victory of its official bet, former interior and local government secretary Manuel Araneta Roxas II. This concern was raised by Peter Lavina, spokesperson of presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte, during a meeting with reporters in Manila’s historic district of Tondo, where Duterte, […]

MANILA health officials expressed alarm over the rising cases of heart-related illness among individuals in their 30’s Dr. Leonora Pascual, Ospital ng Sampaloc officer-in-charge, said there is a noticeable increases in cases of heart problems even among those who are young. “On the average, about three to five heart patients come to us every week, some of them on emergency […]

THE Ecowaste Coalition, an environmental group, warned that some monkey figurines sold in Quiapo, Manila as “lucky charms” were found to have high levels of lead, a highly toxic chemical , making it unsafe especially for children. The group came up with the conclusion after subjecting to chemicals screening, using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, five monkey figurines it […]

THE People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia on Tuesday offered a reward of up to P50,000 (around US$1,086) for any information leading to the arrest of a suspected “serial cat killer” in Dasmariñas Village, one of the famous enclaves of the Philippines’ rich and famous in Makati City. The group said at least 12 community cats […]